Saskatoon savours sweet success

After going undefeated in the qualifying round, and winning its semifinal on Saturday, Norland Dental from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, took its first loss of the Western Canadian Masters Fastball Championships in Sunday’s final.

Norland lost to defending Masters Champions Andre’s, from Kelowna.

But it wasn’t over for Saskatoon.

Because of the team’s undefeated record in the qualifying round, it had to play a doubleheader, which gave the team a chance to regroup and try again.

Norland fell behind, coming into the last at-bat down 3-1.

“You gotta believe,” the team members shouted from the dugout as they hit for eight runs in the seventh inning, making it 9-3.

Norland shut down Andre’s in the bottom of the seventh to win, with two strikeouts and an easy pop-fly.

The champions came a long way from the flat lands to vie for the title among mountains — “31 hours in the bus, straight through” — said Malmgren as his team packed up, their bus idling in the parking lot.

“It’s a long way, but it was worth it, we’ve got some gold to take home.”

Andre’s pitcher, Kevin Sutherland was named the championship-round MVP. He pitched 19 and a half innings in three games on Sunday, before getting pulled in the last inning after giving up a three-run homer.

“Once I stopped throwing, I’d be done,” said Sutherland as he greeted appreciative fans after the game. “It’s disappointing, going into the last inning with a two-run lead.”

“The ball has been exceptional, the calibre is awesome, and the pitching tremendous,” said Softball Yukon’s George Arcand on Sunday.

“Whitehorse hasn’t seen fastball at this calibre for 10 years, it’s nice to see.”

The two Yukon teams in the tournament, The Roadhouse Pirates and Kal Tire, finished fifth and sixth respectively.

“They held their own considering they haven’t played this game for some time,” said Arcand.

The teams from BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan had to win their provincial titles to play at the Westerns.

The Northeast Alberta Selects, from Edgerton, took third place, and the High Prairie Playboys finished fourth.